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GAME OF THE MONTH COLLECTION:
PANZER DRAGOON SAGA
(Sega, April 1998)

Maybe you heard about this game? Maybe not? Not only is it the rarest North American Sega Saturn game (there are only 5,000-8,000copies ever made, so consider yourself lucky if you find it) but it's also the best Sega Saturn game ever made in my opinion. It's Sega's Panzer Dragoon Saga! Panzer Dragoon Saga is the thrid chapter in the Panzer Dragoon series and unlike the first two shooting games, this game has all new RPG elements with over 20hours of gameplay and is a four disc adventure of a young man named Edge and the mystical dragon who helps him out.

Sometimes you have to explore the inside of the enemies Air ships!

At the start of the game, Edge is part of a archeology/constuction project team that just finds something very important that day. They dig up a strange girl frozen in stone and still alive as well. As they look in amazement of their find, they are suddenly attack by an powerful army general named Crayman and his henchmen, they not only steal the girl in stone from you but they also kill everyone in sight. Everyone of your friends is left for dead and you, Edge, survive by a twist of fate after falling in a deep pit of water. After another near brush with death, Edge is saved by a huge and very unique dragon and the two of you become friends and now you start off the adventure to get revenge on Craymen........... but that's only half the story.

The coolest thing about Panzer Dragoon Saga, besides the story, is the unique battle system. Your Dragon can fly around your opponents to expose a weakness or avoid certain attacks giving this game more freedom in battles than most RPG's around. Plus you also get this really cool 3guage system to unlease different attacks, so if you fill only one guage you can only fire your gun, dragon shot, or use a item, but if you 2 or 3guages you'll be able to unlease more powerful magic and berzerk attacks.

The graphics really push the limits of the Saturn with morphmation effects of your dragon and beautiful backdrops you fly over. I love the design of the monsters in the game and you'll even encounter other unfriendly dragon too. The story is bought to live thanks to the Japanese dialogue (with sub-titles) plus some of the music is not only relaxing, it's absolutely unforgettable.

The game isn't perfect though. First there not alot of towns or items when compared to the Final Fantasy games and such. Second some of the dungeons can be long and tedious if you don't have any maps. Other than that, Panzer Dragoon Saga rivals the Final Fantasy, and Phantasy Star games as one of the best RPG's ever! The fact that you can still find this rare on Ebay for $100US is a bargain for this awesome game, and a hope Sega makes a sequel some time in the future.